Military surplus vehicles are the cars, trucks, vans, boats and all terrain vehicles (ATV’s) that began as government property and entered into the private market through Federal Government auctions. Some also come from prototype inventory that was built for military use but for various reasons were not purchased by them. Some surplus vehicles are donated to non-profit entities such as the Red Cross or Girl Guides while others are put up for sale and can be purchased by the public through surplus auctions held by the Federal Government and other state entities. The most popular and user-friendly of these is governmentliquidation.com.
Governmentliquidation.com is very similar in function to eBay where the sellers list their inventory of surplus vehicles and buyers can bid on items either individually or in bulk as a lot. Government auctions once operated under a sealed bid system where buyers had only one chance to bid and did not know the bids of other auction participants. Registration with the site is free and there is always a large inventory of surplus vehicles, business equipment and other merchandise to browse.
If you decide to purchase a military surplus vehicle, there are a few things you may want to consider. Buying directly from an auction website means that stock is sold as is, where is. This means that you have to determine the condition of the vehicle based on the auction posting and if you win, it is your responsibility to pick up the vehicle from wherever it is located. The added risk of this is that there is no course for redress should a vehicle be faulty and that fact is conveniently excluded from the description. You may be able to see the vehicle before the auction closes, but this means you will have to go at least twice; once to assess the condition and place your bid and then again to remove it if you win. Note: you must remove the vehicle if you win and usually by a certain date after the auction closes. Failure to do so will result in either a storage fee for each day it remains, and if it is not picked up at all, the Federal Government will find a way to make you pay.
Dealers frequently purchase surplus vehicles and know what to look for at auctions; they also overhaul most of the vehicles before reselling them. If you want to purchase a surplus vehicle just on a whim, it may be better and more cost effective to purchase a vehicle from a dealer. A general rule to observe with surplus military auctions is never purchase a vehicle you have not seen yourself. Keeping all this in mind, there are many happy customers who have purchased surplus military vehicles. They share their stories on the forums where buyers discuss their experiences. The fact is that you can get a great deal on a boat, ATV or car from a military surplus auction if you take the time and bid carefully.